Event Detail

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Uncovering the Origins of the Gender Gap in Political Ambition: Early Life Experiences, Political Socialization, and Candidat

Jennifer Lawless, Associate Professor, American University

Research on women’s candidate emergence identifies a substantial
gender gap in political ambition that is well established by the
time women and men enter the professions from which political
candidates tend to emerge. More specifically, women are roughly
one-third less likely than men—even when they are matched
professionally, educationally, and politically—ever to have
considered running for office. Yet no empirical research has
examined thoroughly the origins of the gender gap in political
ambition or the relationship between early socialization and
interest in running for office. Based on a new national survey of
4,000 high school and college students, we identify the initial
causes of the gender gap in political ambition, which is a
prerequisite to closing it. Ultimately, our results speak to the
gender dynamics of powerful socializing agents, and allow for an
assessment of the likelihood that our political institutions will
reach gender parity.